5 WEIGHT SHOOTOUT (THE WINNER IS?)
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George Anderson at the Yellowstone Angler has a interesting article on his site, check it out!
http://yellowstoneangler.com/FlyRodComparisonAlbrightG.LoomisOrvisSageScottTempleForkThomasThomasTomMorganRodsmithsR.L.Winstonrodtesting.aspHmmm… I found the article to be quite interesting.
The problem with reviews(?) in magazines like Fly Fisherman is that they just publish the words the website of the rodmaker used. There is no personal view on the rod(s)…
Now this article by Anderson *is* a personal view. Yet I think a lot of his fly fishing and running a fly shop experience is incorporated in this article. He knows what is important in a fly rod.
Now, I always cast rods myself I’m interested because I want to see & feel myself rather than just go along with what someone else thinks. If I get REALLY interested in a certain rod, I bring along my own reel with my own fly line and see what happens.
Funny thing is how Anderson rates the cosmetics (X-factor & craftsmenship). I think the recent (in fact the past 5-10 years) Loomis rods actually pretty ugly. It looks too much like a mass production (printed rod specifications on the shaft!) rod rather than a high end ‘hand built’ (a few
The Flychucker in Nashville was the only place I found that had a Tom Morgan rod you could cast. It was a 3 piece 4 weight. I cast it and it was a sweet trout rod like a Winston WT but a little crisper and very beautiful. Next time your in MT you could stop by Tom’s place and cast his rods I believe. I talked to him on the phone a couple of years ago and I wish I could meet him his rod designs at Winston are some of my favorites. On the last page of Fish & Fly there is a picture of him and a short quote from some early Winston literature, nice touch I thought.
I have sworn off the 5 weight for a while. I have been using a 6 a 4 and a 3 weight. My 5 is on more or less on permanent loan to my son. I’ve almost come to the conclusion that a 6 will do every thing a 5 weight will do only better and it will cast a 4 inch sucker 30 feet on the back cast no problem!
As far as the testing setup criteria etc well I guess its a little better than nothing. I was suprised that he had some pretty negative comments on rods that he sells in his shop. He really didn’t like the new Winston Boron IIT! He was also very candid about advertising hype. I bet he has a bunch of Z-Axis 5 weights ready to go out the door. I would!!!
I probably was a little hard, since it is clear that the numbers are being assigned by real people, and it is obvious that Anderson is a guy who is entitled to claim an expert opinion.
Thanks for posting. Had not seen this article before. Agree that ratings are opinions, but so are virtually all such ratings.
George is an expert angler, and has fished all over the place. He’s right up there at the top as far as skill, focus on the job at hand, and fish-catching and fighting ability.
And having been in the business for several decades, yes, he probably is a bit biased by past experiences, both fishing and dealing with various manufacturers.
Livingston, with its back door access to spring creeks, “full-size” rivers, and all sorts of stillwater, is a perfect 5-weight location.
So, whether one agrees with him or not (and note that his team doesn’t always agree), article is serious food for thought.
I’m going fishing (sole criterion is that air and water temps are above freezing). That, and it’s a heck of a lot better than shopping!
Trout in Chapel Hill. Don’t get to do that every day.
Best to all
Buzz
The most important information is in my view the different casting ranges they tested. About cosmetics etc. is debatable. But when a rod cast badly on short distances while it excells on long distances means that it’s rated underweighted and/or it has a too stiff tip. This kind of information isn’t stated in the rod description.
thats easily changed by uplining though, another thing this side by side comparison doesn’t take into account.
All I know is that his flyshop goes out of its way to tout the BIIX a few years ago and now it apparently is not a great rod. The Z Axis wins, a new rod in 2007, does not seem like conicidence. The whole thing is a total scam……….
Read it again, even worse the second time around.
He actually admits they wound up comparing all the other rods in terms of how they stacked up to the “benchmark rods”, the Z Axis and the Streamdance.
Like all things one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I find it kind of interesting that he rates the TFO TiCrX higher than the TiCr. I’ve had both and continue to fish the TiCr while the “X” went off to the big auction board. My experience was that the X is probably better overlined while the TiCr seems to be like Goldilock’s porridge…..just right! Oh well that’s why they make Fords and Chevys 😉
A lot of very good observations from a group of experienced fly fishers.
Looking at it from George’s perspective, however, how many times a week do you think an absolute newbie walks into the shop with $$ to spend asks him (or one of his employees) which rod is the best? George advises him to try a few, but customer either doesn’t have the time or casting expertise to evaluate a rod. So he asks, “Which one do YOU think is best?”
I’d guess quite a bit – I’ve only been in that store once and I’ve seen it there, and I’ve seen it in my local shop. From his perspetive, he’s giving his audience what they ask for. He is not masquerading as a journalist or anything. He’s giving his customers his opinion.
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